I am scared to step out of the house and face people. Help!'

To help readers cope with their anxieties in these stressful times, TOI has launched Talk it Out, a series in which expert counsellors answer your mental health queries. This week’s advice is from clinical psychologist Dr Neha Mehta

- Dr Neha Mehta

I am a 19-year-old undergraduate student. I have low self-esteem, nil confidence and feel too nervous to step out of my home. There are days when I decide I will attend college but I chicken out at the last minute. I constantly compare myself to peers and look down upon myself. I feel bad that I can’t make good conversations. This hampers my studies, too. The worst part is that I don’t enjoy my own company either. I wish to break this habit and come out as a person who sees herself as worthy of life and finds meaning in it. Please help! — Anonymous